What type of exercises can I do at home to tone my upper body without using any gym equipment?

JUST WATCH AASTHA CHANNEL AND FOLLOW WHAT OUR ANCIENT SAGES HAVE PREDICTED.

Check out the following website for exercises you can do at home that require no equipment and simply uses your body weight for resistance.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=&Equip=BodyOnly&Isolation=

I would suggest you to pick out 1-2 exercises for each of the muscle groups:
shoulders (anterior, posterior, and lateral), upper arms (biceps and triceps), forearms, chest, abs (upper, lower, and obliques), upper, mid, and lower back, butt, legs(quads, hamstrings, and calves) and outer and inner thighs.

Your intensity should be 70-80% 1-RM or 8-12-RM, 8-12 reps, 1 or more sets, 3 times a week for 6 weeks or more when you begin a resistance program. You should begin with 1 exercise for each major muscle group and make sure the days you do resistance training are not consecutive meaning you don’t exercise the same muscle group two days in a row. As you continue your program you can add more exercises, add weight, and change up your program to include more days or just work specific muscle groups on specific days. As your muscles grow stronger you will be able to reduce the rest time between each set. You should rest for about 30 seconds between sets.

Here is another great website for finding some good exercises for different parts of the body, but with this one you have to look for those that do not use equipment
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/Strength_Exercises.html

Here is a great link to a comprehensive musculoskeletal atlas of the body to help you understand what exactly you are working
http://www.preventdisease.com/home/muscleatlas/content.html#102

Here is another website to check out to understand the modes of fitness better.
http://preventdisease.com/fitness/fundament/articles/types_exercises.html

Please read these links for stomach exercises:
http://www.sixpacknow.com/preview3.html
http://www.bestabs.com/Resources/Exercises/Default.aspx
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html
http://www.prevention.com/topic/0,5768,s1-21-0-1-ABC-0,00.html
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/71/81365.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ripple10.htm
http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises.htm
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/hl/fit/star/alert05222001.jsp
http://www.askmen.com/sports/fitness_top_ten/4_fitness_list.html
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/Strength_Exercises_abdominals.html

Please read the recommendations below and go to this website for upper body exercises:http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

The following healthy living recommendations will help you if you’re trying to lose weight, tone up your muscles, have aspirations of building lean muscle mass, are attempting to get a wash board stomach, or just want to feel better:

*1) Burn more calories then you’re consuming everyday and measure your results using the following formula: Calories Consumed minus Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) minus Physical Activity minus the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). A website that explains this formula in more detail and will help you determine how many calories you need to reach or maintain a certain weight is at http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm

Get an online, desktop, or cell phone diet and fitness calculator. This will allow you to easily calculate the above formula, set goals, log your daily calorie consumption, and register your physical activities.

Set realistic goals for your ideal body weight. Here are two websites that will calculate a suggested body weight:
Adults: http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
Teens/Children: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/exercise/weight/bmi.html

It is difficult and unhealthy to lose more than one or two pounds per week. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. If you eat 500 fewer calories per day for a week you will lose one pound. If you burn through exercise 500 more calories per day for a week you will lose one pound.

Here are two articles on how to break through a weight loss plateau:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/86/99147.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/102117.htm

*2) Eat natural and organic foods found on earth versus something created by a corporation to make money. Eat meals in small portions throughout the day and take a good multi-vitamin supplement.

Do not try fad diets or diet pills. Avoid “High Glycemic Load Carbs” (sugar, pastries, desserts, refined starches such as breads, pasta, refined grains like white rice; high starch vegetables such as potatoes) and drink lots of water. Read this article for more information on high GL Carbs:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html

The following are food pyramids and several articles on what you should eat everyday:
Food Pyramids:
http://www.rayandterry.com/html/images/PyramidLRG.gif?osCsid=26a424be471d1337e7c2f105d5c64d9d
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Antioxidant Superstars – Vegetables and Beans:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107638.html
Antioxidant Loaded Fruits:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107640.html
Good Carbs Mean Better Weight:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/100/105783.htm
The Benefits of Protein:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/85/98824.htm
Some Fats Are Good For You:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/49/40075.htm
Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107641.html
What You Should Eat Daily:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_201.jhtml
Best Foods to Fight off Disease and Keep You Healthy:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_101.jhtml

*3) Perform cardiovascular, core, and/or strength training on most days. Read a book or find a certified trainer to make sure you’re doing all exercises correctly.

The following is a website and numerous articles on cardiovascular, core, and strength training:
Exercise Prescription on the Net
http://www.exrx.net/
Starting an Exercise Program:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/startexercise.htm
Strength Training Basics:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/trainbasics.htm
Cardiovascular Machine Workouts:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/cardiowork.htm
Balance Your Way to a Stronger Body:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/64/72314.htm
Understanding Your Training Heart Rate:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/thr.htm
Exercise Errors:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/errors.htm
Getting a Flat Stomach:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/71/81365.htm
Weight Lifting – Does Order Matter:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/80/96440.htm
Encouraging Exercise in Your Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/103524.htm
Strength Training Safe and Effective for Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/32/1728_81005.htm

*4) Get plenty of sleep. Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health, and safety.

*5) Educate yourself continually on health issues and make a life long commitment to good health. A great free publication is “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005”. A reputable test you can take to measure your biological age is at http://realage.com
Look at all areas where you can enhance your health. For example, make improvements in the quality of the air you breathe. Review outdoor air quality forecasts where you live and get an indoor air purifier.

Send me an email or yahoo instant message to “gainbetterhealth” if you have any questions and good luck!

*Click on all the source links below to get the full benefit of the recommendations. The answers presented to your health questions are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.